Celebrities are well known for many things, but it is rare to see celebrities with real academic power. That is not a criticism of them, rather their jobs take a lot of time and it does not really fit well with conventional academics. That is why when we see these celebrities who are both good at what they do and also have excelled in academics, it should be commended. Here are some of the celebrities who are much smarter than you think:
Ken Jeong
You may remember him as the crazy naked guy from The Hangover or the Spanish teacher from Community, but some may remember him better as Dr. Jeong. He received his M.D. from University of North Carolina Chapel Hill before pursuing his career as a comedian.
Shaquille O’Neal
Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal apparently didn’t find too much meaning in dunking on competitors on the court. After years of athleticism and million-dollar endorsements, Shaq earned a Ph.D in education from Barry University.
David Duchovny
While not playing an investigator of the supernatural as Fox Mulder in X-Files, David Duchovny was investigating English literature. He earned his master’s degree in English literature from Yale University.
Art Garfunkel
The guy who really put the Art in Simon and Garfunkel was a far cry from artistic in his studies (though he did earn his bachelor’s degree in art history). Before becoming part of one of the most iconic folk duos in history, Art Garfunkel earned a master’s degree in mathematics from Columbia University.
Brian May
What does the greatest art rock band from the 70s and the universe have in common? Brian May: once a guitarist for Queen and now Astrophysicist. May put his studies on hold during the reign of Queen but afterwards went back and completed a Ph.D in Astrophysics at Imperial College London.
James Franco
Spiderman’s best-friend-turned-nemesis has an even more surprising secret than Peter Parker - super-smarts. James Franco earned a master’s of fine arts in writing from Columbia University and is currently working on a Ph.D in English from Yale University.
images:
Brian May: http://goo.gl/NUkpcJ
Art Garfunkel: http://goo.gl/9QA4k8
David Duchovny: http://goo.gl/8Qbncs
Shaquille O'neal: http://goo.gl/S9iteH
Ken Jeong: http://goo.gl/aW2WNM